RAINBOW lorikeets rule the roost and, love 'em or hate 'em, "bin chickens" are coming to town.
BirdLife Australia's Aussie Backyard Bird Count has done the numbers for another year, with more than 88,000 people counting nearly 3.4 million birds during one week in October.
The mover and shaker of the avian world is the white ibis, ingraciously tagged the bin chicken, making its first appearance at number 10 on the hit parade, up from 13 the previous year.
This jump has been largely attributed to the continuing drought.
The results show that several other dry-country birds, including the white-winged triller, crimson chat and pied honeyeater were recorded in areas they aren't normally found.
So why are rainbow lorikeets top of the pops? The answer lies largely in our garden plantings.
Over the past 50 or so years, traditional European-style gardens have made way for native backyards, which provide the perfect place for these nectar-loving birds to forage. Think eucalypts, bottlebrushes and grevilleas.
When it comes to the most passionate bird-counters, the good people of Lismore, NSW, can take a bow.
They were streets ahead of their nearest rivals - Gosford, NSW, and Albany, WA.
2019 Aussie Backyard Bird Count Top 10
- Rainbow lorikeet
- Noisy miner
- Australian magpie
- Sulphur-crested cockatoo
- Galah
- House sparrow
- Silver gull
- Common myna
- Welcome swallow
- Australian white ibis
Top three birds in each state or territory
Qld: Rainbow lorikeet, noisy miner, Torresian crow
NSW: Rainbow lorikeet, noisy miner, sulphur-crested cockatoo
ACT: Australian magpie, sulphur-crested cockatoo, galah
Vic: Australian magpie, rainbow lorikeet, house sparrow
Tas: House sparrow, silver gull, common starling
SA: Rainbow lorikeet, house sparrow, New Holland honeyeater
WA: New Holland honeyeater, rainbow lorikeet, galah
NT: Red-collared lorikeet, magpie goose, bar-shouldered dove
External territories: Red-footed booby, great frigatebird, Christmas Island imperial pigeon
Find out more HERE
